


Love Always

by Liyi



Series: 00 line is the best! [2]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Coming of Age, Growing Up, M/M, Multi, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-17
Updated: 2018-07-17
Packaged: 2019-06-12 00:24:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15327675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Liyi/pseuds/Liyi
Summary: Renjun, Jeno, Donghyuck and Jaemin graduate from high school.





	Love Always

**Author's Note:**

> This has been sitting in my drafts for a bit so I finished it. Publishing it in honor of the three new SM rookies!! Also, I'm working on a backstory fic for this so that will be up soon as well.

Donghyuck hurried out of his house, barely even having his shoes on as he hurries to run to school.

This was what he got for staying up so late chatting with his boyfriends. They were such a big distraction in his life, but he would never give them up for the world.

“Haechan!” Turning at the sound of Jeno’s voice, he faced his boyfriend. The boy was smiling brightly at him, biking up to the boy.

“Hop on.” He gestures, and relieved, Donghyuck sat on the back of the bike, wrapping his arms around his waist as they sat off.

“How the heck are you still so energetic even after getting three hours of sleep last night?” The boy asked, seeing how brightly Jeno was smiling.

“How can I not be happy? We’re graduating from high school today!” The blond cheered, ringing his bike bell in excitement and making him laugh.

“I suppose you’re right. By the way, where’s Injun and Jaemin?”

“Went to school early to help out with the preparations. You know how Injunnie is and how Jaemin can never say no to him.”

“Your the same as well!” He retorted and Jeno laughed loudly, because he couldn’t disagree. They were all soft for Renjun, even Donghyuck was to some extent.

They talked the rest of the way to school, and standing at the gate waiting were their other two boyfriends Renjun and Jaemin.

“You guys are nearly late! What took you so long?” Renjun demanded, pouting cutely. Jaemin merely smiled, reaching for the boy to cling to while Jeno locked up his bike.

“The ceremony is starting soon, come on!” While Renjun walked ahead to the indoor hall, Donghyuck hanged back with Jeno and Jaemin to ask, “Why is he so winded up?”

“His parents.” Jaemin answered, surprising the both of them for a moment.

“Are they actually here?” Donghyuck asked. A smile spread on his face when Jaemin nodded his head. “Yup. I think they’re finally going to accept him.”

Before they had entered this relationship, Renjun had come out to his parents about being bisexual. It wasn’t like he had done anything wrong, but his parents acted like it was the end of the world and threw him out. Luckily Jaemin’s family decided to take him in, but he had never fully gotten over his parents’ abandonment of him.

It was no wonder he was so wound up about the fact that his parents were going to be here and that he was going to meet them again for the first time in months.

“I’m so nervous Hyuck.” Renjun muttered, and Donghyuck could tell by how sweaty his hands had gotten while they were waiting for their turns to be called up to the stage to get their graduation certificates.

They were supposed to sit in alphabetic order by surnames, which worked out well for Jeno, Donghyuck and Jaemin since they were close to each other, but not so well for Renjun, so they had gotten the other students to move so that he could sit with them because he was way too stressed right now.

Donghyuck had one of Renjun’s hands fitted around his while Jeno had another, playing with the boy's fingers. Jaemin was currently away from his seat for some reason, which was bad considering that he was actually the best at comforting Renjun so he had to try in the younger's stead to calm the boy down. “It’ll be fine. You’re making yourself nervous. Just take deep breaths and relax.” 

Taking his advice, Renjun took several deep breaths, calming himself down before startling when his name was called out over the mic suddenly. “That’s me! That’s me!” He hissed under his breath in panic, leaning down to give both Donghyuck and Jeno kisses on the cheek while also looking a little put-off by the fact that Jaemin wasn’t here from wherever he had wandered off to.

“I’m here!” Jaemin suddenly reappeared, and Renjun brightened upon seeing him, giving him a small kiss on the cheek before heading for the stage to get his certificate.

“Where were you?” Donghyuck hissed as he sat down in the seat that was left vacated. Jeno was also listening intently, though he had his phone out to record the moment Renjun was up on stage because he promised their younger friends that he would show videos and pictures in the group chat.

“I saw his parents in the crowd! I didn’t think that they would actually come but they did!” Jaemin explained happily, smile spread so wide it was almost creepy.

“Really? Did they look as stuck-up as usual?” Donghyuck's words were pretty blunt when it came to Mr and Mrs Huang because he also had never gotten over the fact that they would abandon their child, their at-the-time seventeen year old son, so easily all because he liked boys as well as girls.

What exactly was their problem? This was the twenty-first century, twenty-gay-teen. 

It still angers him thinking about it, but Jaemin’s answer dissolves a little bit of that negative emotion when he says, “Yeah. I think they’ve even gotten more stuck-up. Mrs Huang was dressed head to top in Gucci with way too much makeover. She tries too hard that it doesn’t look natural in the slightest.”

Donghyuck snorts at the answer and even Jeno cracks a little smile. “I don’t think Renjun would like you two saying such things.” He warns jokingly.

“Somehow I doubt that.” Jaemin answers, because they all know it’s true. Renjun has always had a complicated relationship with his parents and often vented about them to the three, sometimes not even bothering to censor himself.

Speaking of Renjun, they all focus on the boy coming up on stage, as he gets handed his certificate he smiles widely, warming their hearts and when they clap Jaemin makes a fool out of himself by standing up and hooting. When he notices Jeno filming, he strucks a pose, making them both laugh.

When the eldest makes his way over, he looks so radiant that he feels his heart swell in adoration at his happiness.

They wait until they’ve all gotten their certificates before Jaemin shouts, “Group hug!” And suddenly all three boys are wrapped around him, and though it's hard to breath Donghyuck smiles at the feeling of their arms wrapped around him.

“Renjun.” A neutral voice calls out, and immediately their happy atmosphere is broken as they all turned to look at the boy’s parents. 

“Let’s talk.” His father orders.

Renjun walks over to his parents and Donghyuck's hands instinctively searches for the remaining two out of nervousness, only calming when their fingers latch around his.

“What do you think they’re talking about?” He askes, watching the tense look on Renjun’s face grow.

“I don’t know…”

They're distracted by their parents coming over to talk to them, and with their minds occupied, they don't notice how tense things become between Renjun and his parents.

_“No!"_

They turn to see the boy red in the face as he rambles off in mandarin angrily. Luckily Jeno and Jaemin can't understand, but he does. 

_“I’m not going back to China and your not forcing me!”_

_“Don't be stubborn Huang Renjun. This isn't your home and you will go back.”_

Renjun scoffs. _“You just want me back because of yeye’s money. I know that he’s planning on giving me his money in his will and all you want is to get your greedy hands on it!”_

_“That's no way to speak to your fath-”_

_“I don’t care! I’m staying here and you can't make me go back.”_

_“If it’s because of your boyfriends you can get new ones back home.”_

_“Shut up! You don't understand what our relationship is like. They’re important to me, but you don’t care. You never cared. I’m not leaving and that’s **final.”**_

“What are they saying?” Jeno asked, struggling with his minimal knowledge of mandarin to understand why his boyfriend had gotten so angry. 

Donghyuck sighed, “You wouldn't want to know…”

Renjun’s parents, realizing that they wouldn't be able to get through to their child, decide to leave before they embarrass themselves more, leaving the boy defeated and on the verge of crying. 

Everybody in the hall was looking at him after the outburst and under the pressure of their gazes the boy runs outside. 

“I’ll go after him!” Donghyuck said, following after his boyfriend as he ran into an empty part of the school. 

“Renjun…” He muttered, going up to the boy. He looks up at him with big teary eyes and it breaks Donghyuck's heart to look at him. He pulls the elder into a hug, and the boy broke down crying in his arms.

•

“Are you really not going to tell us what was going on with Renjun?”

Donghyuck startles out from his daze to look over at Jaemin. Oh. "You guys already finished packing up?"

"Yeah, would have gone faster if you decided to help instead of just wait like a lazy bum." 

"I did!"

"You moved one box Hyuck." Jaemin retorts. "Aren't you going to tell me what happened with Renjun?"

Donghyuck can tell how much Jaemin wants to know. Both him and Jeno really, but he promised Renjun not to tell them.

“Nope. Unless Renjun wants to tell you, it's not my place to tell you.” Jaemin pouts at that, and he looks so cute that he reaches out to poke his cheek. 

“Yah!” He whines, pulling away with a smile on his face.

“Come on, let's go!” Jeno calls out, and when they look up both him and Renjun are already inside the van. Donghyuck's father was going to be the one driving them to the university, which was both good and bad at the same time.

Donghyuck, Renjun and Jaemin end up in the back seat while Jeno sits up front with his father who’s talking excitedly about what university is like.

“I’m sure you four are going to have a lot of fun. Just don’t have too much fun. You can take care of yourselves right? What am I saying, you are all already adults.” His nervous laughter right after makes them all flinch. 

It was clear that despite his words of trust it was forced, which wasn’t a surprise. In the end his eighteen year old son was leaving his side with his boyfriends, of course he would be a bit mistrustful. 

“Don’t worry appa, I’ll be fine” Donghyuck reassured and his father's fake laughter rings out again. 

“I know that. What I’m worried about is your boyfriends. You won’t try to do anything right?” He asked menacingly, making him roll his eyes.

The three boys nod their heads frantically and Donghyuck has to hold back a laugh from the sight. 

“Good. I’m trusting you because I know your good kids, so don’t break my trust in you.”

It’s a clear warning that makes the boys go on edge and Jeno, being the most nervous sitting next to him shouts out, “Yes sir!” 

It breaks the tension and the rest of the ride to the university ends up being light and full of laughter.

•

"It's nice." Chenle comments, looking around the apartment.

Most of the furniture came from their houses, like the brown couch that used to be in Jaemin’s living room, the small tv that used to belong in Jeno’s room and many more things.

"You guys didn't buy any new stuff?" Jisung asked, plodding onto the couch.

"Yah, what do you think we are? We barely have enough money to get by. We're not all rich okay." Donghyuck retorts with no real bite in his words.

"This apartment is already nicer than the dorms at the university." Mark comments, having spent his first year there before finally being able to move into a small apartment on campus with a friend.

"Yeah, plus we have no annoying roommates." Jaemin adds smiling.

"I wouldn't quite say that." Donghyuck interrupts. "God, do you know how Renjun snores at nigh-" He's cut off by a hand covering his mouth.

"Moving on now." Renjun says, still keeping his hand over Donghyuck's mouth. "Sit down."

Annoyed, the boy flicks his tongue out over the elder's palm, making Renjun yalp and let go of him.

"That's disgusting!"

"Well then you should have let me speak!"

"That's enough." Jeno cuts in, one arm put over each boy's shoulder. "We have guests over."

That ends their tiny squabble for now as they try to be good hosts to their friends. 

This could be the last time they get to hang out together for a while, since tomorrow was going to be their first day of university, so they all throw themselves in having fun.

They stay up playing video games, and by the time Jisung, Chenle and Mark get up to leave, it's already midnight. 

It takes them even more time to get ready for bed since there's only one bathroom and Jaemin has a tendency to hog, so by the time they're all in bed, squashed up against each other, they all pass out dead to the world. 

When Donghyuck wakes up the next day, it's to the incessant ring of the alarm clock Renjun set up. The moomin theme song has never been so annoying.

The bed was already cold, indicating that everybody had left a while ago, which was strange considering that he was usually the second one up after Renjun.

After washing up in the bathroom, he walked into the kitchen, smelling food cooking.

Donghyuck wasn't whether to anticipate or dread it, because Jaemin and Jeno could not cook anything other than ramen, but when he saw the plates of food alongside wide, beaming smiles, he knew that he wouldn't be able to say anything bad regardless.

"I can't believe you guys got up early to cook." He muttered in disbelief. Jeno pulled out a chair and pushed him into it. 

"I cooked the bacon!” Jaemin said, pointing to the burned plate proudly. 

“Jeno cooked the eggs.” Renjun pointed out as the boy in question nodded. Donghyuck winched a little because the eggs were also burned all over. Well, at least they tried right? 

Just their effort was enough to make warmth blossom in his chest. God, Donghyuck really was head-over-heels for them. Ugh, how cheesy of him. 

"Let's eat!" They all pulled out their chairs, squashed around their too-small dining table that was really only meant for two people, but they didn't mind.

“It’s good.” Donghyuck said. It wasn’t a lie since Renjun cooked most of the food that he was willing to eat. The Chinese boy was the only one who was any good at cooking amongst them.

“It’s not good, it’s _really_ good!” Jaemin chimes in happily.

“I agree! Cook more for us!” Jeno added, making Renjun snort from amusement.

“Your just trying to turn me into your personal chef more like it.” He retorted, making both boys turn sheepish as Donghyuck laughed. 

By the time they’re finished, they’re in a hurry with only a few minutes left to get to the auditorium. 

Luckily they weren’t going to be split up just yet since the first day program was for all freshman, but when they entered the hall a little late, almost all the seats were already gone.

"Here!" Donghyuck pointed out a spot where four seats were still available, hurrying down to it before anyone else could.

Once the four of them settled down, he could feel his heart pound in his chest.

God, this was it.

The first moments of the rest of his life. Donghyuck was officially an _adult._

The thought was terrifying, because he still felt so much like a child with so much more to learn about the world.

But his parents weren't going to be there to hold his hand along the way.

No, instead he would be holding the hands of Jaemin, Jeno and Renjun as they all walked down the same path to adulthood.

Somehow it made everything seem better.

As long he had them on his side, everything would be okay.

Donghyuck was sure of it.


End file.
